Islamic Personalities (24 Feb 2012 NewAgeIslam.Com)

Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan: Pakistan’s Forgotten Quaid

By Yaqoob Khan
Bangash

January 30, 2012

January 20, 2012 was
the 24th death anniversary of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, popularly known as
‘Bacha Khan’. Thinking of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan in 2012, it seems that his
main message is now forgotten in the pages of history and his invocation is
merely left to empty words echoed by his amazingly corrupt ‘heirs,’ his
grandson and the cronies who inhabit the Awami National Party (ANP). Today,
seldom does one hear of Bacha Khan’s name in the league of Mahatma Gandhi and
Martin Luther King Jr — the pioneers of non-violent resistance to injustice in
their times. Forgotten is the great, devoutly Muslim leader, who led the fierce
and warlike Pakhtun tribesmen to take an oath of non-violence.

Abdul Ghaffar Khan was
born in 1890 in Uthmanzai near Charsadda in the Frontier. Having not had the
chance to purse higher education like his elder brother, Dr Khan Sahib, Abdul
Ghaffar Khan went along a less trodden path. Sensing that the main problem of
the Pakhtuns was the lack of education and incessant feuds, Ghaffar Khan set up
the Darul Ulum in 1910 in Uthmanzai and Mardan to give elementary education to
the villagers. Later in 1921, he set up the Anjuman-e-Islah-e-Afghana, the
‘Society for the Reformation of the Afghans’, to again rid the Pakhtuns of
illiteracy and social evils. Thereafter, a network of about 70 Azad Islamia Madarsas were established
throughout the province to promote education, Pashtu language and literature,
patriotism and true love for Islam. These initiatives were significant in three
ways. First, most of these schools were established in the villages, rather
than the cities, which were the main focus of reformers during the early part
of the 20th century. Secondly, all these initiatives were deeply rooted in the
Islamic tradition of seeking knowledge and the promotion of peace and good
relations. Thirdly, these schools, independently conceived, were nevertheless
part of a great focus on indigenous education and social improvement prevalent
in British India. All these great projects, firmly embedded in resuscitating
pride in India’s national and religious heritage did a lot to awaken patriotism
among the people and charged the nationalist movement.

Abdul Ghaffar Khan
also followed the obvious nationalist cause after his educational initiates and
established the Khudai Khidmatgars, ‘Servants of God’ movement in November
1929. This movement was significant since it was also deeply rooted in the
ideology of non-violence. For the warlike Pakhtuns, where revenge and conflict
are almost a way of life, Ghaffar Khan preached the gospel of non-violence. His
philosophy of non-violence was deeply religious and found the inspiration in
the person of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and his treatment of people, especially
of those from Makkah after the city’s final conquest. This adherence to
non-violent principles was absolute, so much so that when the British police
fired on Kudai Khidmatgar members indulging in civil disobedience in April
1930, they did not retaliate and suffered over 200 casualties. No wonder then
that Ghaffar Khan was soon called the ‘Frontier Gandhi’ for his faithfulness to
the principle of non-violence. Like Gandhi, Ghaffar Khan focused not only on
gaining independence from the British but also the transformation of the self.
So as Gandhi advocated Satyagraha, ‘experiments with the truth’, Ghaffar Khan
advocated a radical transformation of the Pakhtuns, as peaceful,
forward-looking people.

Despite Ghaffar Khan’s
significant contribution to Islamic philosophy, social reform and political
thinking, he is a lost figure in the Pakistani narrative. His revolutionary
ideals were stifled in the evolution of Pakistan, simply because he did not
‘fit’ in the meta-narrative which did not allow any deviation from the line of the
Muslim League. It did not matter that Ghaffar Khan’s ideology was as Islamic as
anyone else’s and perhaps even more beneficial to adhere to, with its focus on
non-violence, non-discrimination and social development, than the purely
communal policies of the Muslim League.

Shame that today, the
party which claims Bacha Khan can only think of evoking his name, but seem
oblivious of his ideals while they indulge in extreme corruption. I wonder if
Bacha Khan would be tempted to break his vow of non-violence if he saw today’s ANP.

TOTAL COMMENTS:- &nbsp 5

I Think he was the real hero not only for undivided India bt also for the whole world. We all salute the great man real 'the frontier Gandhi'.Man of the kind nt born easily and daily. By KOONER Sahib - 8/5/2013 2:56:38 AM

He was the real hero of Undivided India and Present India i deeply respect him.. By Rishiraj - 12/3/2012 3:17:31 AM

Pakistan's forgotten Quaid? Seriously? The man AGAINST the formation of Pakistan is the forgotten Quaid of Pakistan? Isn't it the same Khan Ghaffar Khan who strongly opposed muslim league's demand for partition and the same man, who, after Congress accepted the partition plan told them "you have thrown us to the wolves"?

the man was great in his services, but let's not make him the quaid of a country he vehemently opposed the existence of!

By Maria - 11/3/2012 3:03:49 AM

The only Non-Indian who has rightly been conferred Bharat Ratna for his inevitable and unparreled contribution to the world. By Raihan Nezami - 2/24/2012 12:27:15 PM

It is ok in the current world. congress swears by M.G. Gandhi and has the maximum corruption. Politician of current generation are same across caste, creed, religion and color By satwa gunam - 2/24/2012 7:23:17 AM

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